Don't know where to begin.

I know it has been a while, but I'm still not quite right with this macbook.  I told you I'm slow!  The unfamiliarity is not making anything but surfing the web fun.  I do have a private tutor (thanks Valentina!) coming soon to set me straight, but no promises on any regularity!  I'm getting bigger (in my third trimester) and more tired so I'm not getting as much done as usual. 

So, to catch you up.......

We have decided to keep George home next year (as opposed to sending him to Pre-K like we did Liv).  He did so well during the Feb blizzard, I feel better with his adjusting to homeschool from pre-school.  Plus, not having to drag around 4 kids, one an infant, every day to drop off and pick up George at Pre-K will make life a lot easier.  We are still thinking/planning on sending Virginia to Pre-School and probably Pre-K, since we do love the school.  But we are always praying and trying to be flexible to God's plan.

George has learned his letters and is now learning the sounds and printing!  He is jumping right in with table work, and following our schedule.  He has a great attitude about school- I love it!

NICE WEATHER HAS COME!!!  We have finally taken a break too!  We never really stopped for Christmas break, and the kids have no idea what a snow day is because I'm mean like that.  Since they don't know, they don't question and keep on as usual.  Because of this, Livia has finished her K curriculum in March.  Of course, she doesn't know we have completed her requirements.  We are finishing up the rest of the school year (until George's last day) with fun units, field trips, and experiments.  Of course we took off to the zoo on the first nice day!

One fun day was Dr. Seuss day. It started with a special breakfast to get them in the mood.  

After some green eggs and ham, we gathered all the Dr. Seuss books we had around and read, read, read!  We also made up poems and talked about rhyming words.  The kids didn't even realize it was school.  Ha ha!

Don't judge

I think I'm a genius.  Why dirty another bowl?  Why get chocolate all over your knuckles while scooping the last of the ice cream out?  You wish you thought of it first.

BIG news!

Troy has some exciting news! I'll let you read his announcement below....

A Message from Troy Stouffer:

The past few weeks have been a whirlwind of activity as we prepare for the campaign to wrest control of our government away from the career politicians and return it back to the people of this great country. It’s time to begin the discussion of our district’s important local issues, as well as change the direction of our country. Be confident, because the good people of our district will be successful! 

Our campaign website, www.troystouffer.com, is now up and running. Please go and check it out. Sign up for our newsletter to stay up to date on what we are doing and where we will be visiting next.


Our team is coming together and we have had the opportunity to go out and meet some real Maryland patriots. The people of the 2nd district deserve to have a congressman that will uphold the Constitution and will use common sense and actually REPRESENT THE WILL OF THE PEOPLE, not just another politician bent on telling us what’s best for us, while looking to further their own career political ambitions.


This will be a grassroots campaign, and we wouldn’t have it any other way. After all, this is about people living in the real world – you and me. If you live in Maryland’s 2nd Congressional district, we are asking for your help and your vote. Even if you don’t live in our district, we need your assistance to help get the word out about our quest to send the career politicians home. As with any political campaign, it takes money, but it also takes time and energy. We need all that you can offer. If you can help with any size donation, it would go a long way to changing our country. You can make a contribution by mail or online through our website.


The politicians in Washington have forgotten who they work for. This is not a recent phenomenon, but it seems that they don’t pretend to care what we, their employer, think. This year maybe our last real opportunity to choose a common sense direction for our important local issues and for our country; it is a rising tide of great Americans willing to sacrifice to take their country back, district by district, state by state. Troy is just such a leader, willing to take the fight to Washington in what is sure to be the real year of change!


Thank you for your prayers and support in our battle to bring common sense back to Government.

official website

Virginia is practicing to be a big sister

I was wondering how Ginnie would handle the arrival of the new baby this summer. For a while (between 12 mo and 18 mo) she was a very high maintenance child. Lately she has mellowed out a LOT and has even found a spot in her heart for baby dolls. In fact, "Baby" is one of her 6 words she will use consistently. I know there is no way to tell how she will behave until we are in full infant mode around here, but things are looking up!



P.S. If you ever wonder why I don't call people, please notice the loud noise in the background. And THAT is coming from the upstairs. Imagine when we are all in the same floor, or even the same room. I'll stick with e-mail for a few more years....

Special Guest Teacher!

I'm not very responsible.  I lose my phone, forget to charge it, record a date on my pocket planner but not the fridge calendar.... But this day, I was exceptionally responsible.  I didn't even look at my fridge calendar that should have all our plans recorded on it.  I might have saw that we invited some friends over that morning.  I might have been super excited and had the schoolwork put away, lunch plans made, and who knows, maybe picked up some.  Nope.  The doorbell rang and my friend Lark was there with her 2 children (N, age 5 and M, age 1).  She noticed my surprised face and offered to come back another time, but I couldn't do that to her!  (She is special.  We have a lot in common, even though we don't know each other that well, but it feels like we have been friends forever.)

Not only was Lark coming over for a play date, she brought books and lesson plans!  She was sharing with us a mini unit on Bill Peet, a childrens author.  It was awesome!  She read books, fed the kids animal crackers (she talked about how Peet used real and fictional animals in his books), and then made placemats depicting animals the kids made up.  After, we all got to each lunch together and the kids had some free play.  It really turned into a nice playdate, even if I totally forgot about it!

Cabin fever

George has only went to school 4 days in Feb, due to snow days and 2 hr delays (meaning no school for AM half days). I think it is totally unsafe to leave the house when there is any of that white death on the ground, so inside it was. The 3 year old boy seemed to be affected most. 

100th day of school!

From the first day of homeschool, Liv counted out and put one straw into a vase. She would then record the number on a chart. (Then she would fill out the calendar and say the date also) After each group of ten straws she would wrap a rubberband around the group and put the whole bunch in the vase. This is how she learned the concept of (and to count in) tens. We made it to 100 in February! So, we had a party.

We have 100 blooms, 100 marshmallows, 100 raisins, 100 cherios, 100 straws, and 100 spelled out with a banana and 2 cinnamon buns.  Liv promptly did 100 skips and hops around the dining room to burn off the 100 grams of sugar she must have eaten!



We also talked about 100 looks like in different ways.  I asked them a bunch of questions-

I could carry 100 __ladybugs__, but I couldn't carry 100 __couches__!
I could eat 100 __marshmallows__, but I couldn't eat 100 __hamburgers__!
I could put 100 __pencils__ in my desk, but I couldn't put 100 __computers__ in my desk!
I wish I had 100 __dollars__, but I am glad that I do not have 100 __spiders__!